Posts Tagged ‘blush’

Draping is the new way to blush! Most of us associate draping with fabrics and fashion. But leave it to Marc Jacobs to apply it to makeup and faces! I’ve never thought of it like that before, but blush can be veiled over the face in different techniques to create different looks. How cheeky! Marc’s friend Way Bandy (the first ever celebrity makeup artist) made the concept of a “color glow” popular, and this inspired Marc to create his new 24-hour Air Blush Soft Glow Duo! Its air powder pigments seamlessly become one with the complexion, and the two shades merge fluidly in the palette for endless color combinations. Way said “color is a vital element in brightening and contouring… whereas light seems to project bones and dark seems to recede them, colors in the red range do something else. Not only does color give accent to the area where it is placed but it also seems to round out, give curve and softness to the skin and bones where it is applied.” I would totally agree because as much as I love it when I contour and highlight myself and my clients, the face doesn’t really come to life until I add blush.

We’re super excited because we’ve teamed up with Marc Jacobs Beauty to bring you four looks using the new Air Blush Soft Glow Duos through an exclusive Pinterest board dedicated to draping and this one-of-a-kind blush! Because face draping is a new concept, we’ll walk through it together over the next few weeks with inspiration, face charts and tutorials. So be sure to follow the board and check back daily so you can master it too! And remember, for all of the four different looks, you can use any of the five dance-floor-inspired shades because they’re foolproof and infused with air to drape your cheeks in color. Also note that I didn’t use any bronzing powder or highlighting powder in the looks. I only used the blushes to contour, highlight, flush, volumize, sculpt and/or lift.

Let’s start with the Balancing Glow! Use this technique when you want to balance out a bold look (like a smoky eye or wine-stained lip) or in this case, balance and soften your features with a veil of radiance. I chose the Lush & Libido shade because it’s very sweet and feminine but you can use whichever one you gravitate towards that complements your skin tone.

Such a soft way to drape your face in color! For the nights you want to really define your cheekbones, switch to the Sculpting Glow! This technique hollows out the cheeks with the deeper shade then adds a halo effect to draw light and attention to them with the lighter shade. I used the Flesh & Fantasy Palette because it’s the perfect amount of warmth and glow.

As a fellow lover of design and style, this makeup trend makes me so happy. You pick one shade and wear it on the eye, cheek and lip. Obviously don’t pick blue or something unrealistic! There’s something gorgeous that happens when everything is in harmony. If you have cool undertones, pick a pink or berry and if you have warm undertones, pick a peach or a burnt rust like I did here on Penelope. If you have neutral undertones, you can wear them all! Here’s how:

I go back and forth between powder blush and cream blush all the time on my clients (and myself). But if I had to choose, I love the fresh-faced look that only a cream blush can give. Powder blush always looks well, like powder that sits on top of the skin. It’s super pretty, don’t get me wrong! But let’s be honest: no one will believe it’s an actual flush. You just look like you love wearing makeup, hence the term “looking made up”. Which is our divine right! But when you want to use makeup to strategically enhance, define, accentuate and look more awake, you have to use different techniques and different products. In this case, we want to mimic that “in love” glow, so we would switch to a cream blush and stipple into the skin. But if you don’t have one handy, convert your powder blush into one with today’s tutorial! Here’s how:

TOOLS:

Your Favorite Powder Blush – This Lorac Buildable Blush ($$) in Prism has the perfect matte finish and is so pretty on almost all skin tones. For darker skin tones, try it in the Technicolor shade . I am also really into this budget-friendly blush ($) in Pink for cool undertones and Sunset for warm undertones.

Swirl it in the palm of your hand. This thins it out and warms it up with your body’s temperature so it will melt together better.

Slide the Q-tip across the powder blush with a little pressure to pick up a small amount of product.

Now roll the Q-tip into the thinned-out cream in the palm of your hand.

Swirl your magic solution around with your finger until it’s all mixed together.

Dab the blush brush into the solution to load it up.

Fake smile in the mirror to find the apples of the cheek and start on the top half as you stipple the brush from there along the top of your cheekbones. Some of my clients love to keep it concentrated on the apples only while others like to do a high corner flush, more towards the temples. Basically, if your face is very angular or bony, stick to the apples to add fullness. If your face is rounder or you’re a little heavier right now, suck in your cheekbones and concentrate the blush there (and follow the hollow with a bronzing powder to contour and thin them out!).

March 1st is the perfect time to start transitioning your makeup for Spring. Okay, we still aren’t leaving home without coats and scarves but the promise of warmer weather is enough to lighten our spirits! And the perfect way to reflect that with our makeup is to start dusting a little bronzer on our lids and our faces. Here’s how: